1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a table exchanging device for alternately exchanging two slide tables to alternatively use one of the two slide tables to improve the operability of a wood working machine of the type which works a workpiece of wood placed on a horizontally movable table.
2. Prior Art
An exemplary one of such table exchanging devices as described above is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 23122/1985 filed by the inventor of the present patent application. The table exchanging device includes a central bed, a left bed and a right bed disposed at the center and left and right locations of a wood working machine, and a slider mounted for sliding movement in forward and backward directions on the central bed. The table exchanging device further includes a pair of left and right slide tables. The left slide table is adapted to be slidably moved from the left bed to the slider or vice versa while the right slide table is adapted to be slidably moved from the right bed to the slider or vice versa. One of the slide tables which is alternatively slidably transferred to the slider is then fixed to the slider and moved forwardly or backwardly together with the slider on the central bed while the other slide table which is slidably moved to the left or right bed is then fixed to the bed.
With the table exchanging device having such a construction as described just above, one of the slide tables is moved forwardly or backwardly to work a workpiece of wood on the slide table while another workpiece of wood is placed in position on or removed from the other slide table.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,478 discloses a wood working router which includes a hollow slide table having a large number of air sucking holes formed in an upper wall thereof so that a workpiece of wood placed on the slide table may be fixed to the slide table by vacuum in the hollow spacing in the slide table connected to a vacuum pump.